In case you haven’t been paying attention to other news around the world, France was recently hit by massive riots and violent protests after a 17-year-old was shot dead by police during a traffic stop.
Calling the killing a result of the rampant racism within the police force, protesters took to the streets in condemnation of the incident. Eventually the protests turned violent and many protesters destroyed cars, looted shops, and even started setting some of them on fire.
As of yesterday, the unrest in France was beginning to ease. However, the damage has been done; dozens of cars and shops have been looted and burned, 145 people have been arrested, and two policemen wounded in the riots.
France, normally a nation that doesn’t see unrest and one of the most-visited countries in Europe, was given a national embarrassment ahead of the start of promotions for the 2024 Olympics.
We understand the outrage that the people feel, an outrage similar to what people of color in the US often display when another African-American is gunned down unjustifiably by policemen.
Their rage is justified and their calls for justice defensible, but the violence that comes with it is not. No matter how justified or valid a cause or belief is, when violence enters the picture, and especially when aimed at the innocent, the cause becomes tainted.
The grandmother of the victim himself realized this and has called on people to stop rioting in her grandson’s name.
"Stop and do not riot...I tell the people who are rioting this: Do not smash windows, attack schools or buses. Stop! It's the moms who are taking the bus, it's the moms who walk outside," she was quoted as saying.
Of course, we are sure that some of the people who are causing the trouble aren’t sharing sympathy with the victim’s family and are just taking advantage of the chaos to benefit themselves or further their own agenda.
However, their violent actions and those of those who genuinely condemn the alleged racism may affect how the quest for justice for the slain teenager goes.
When violence enters the picture, all semblance of a call’s acceptability goes out the window.